Warrior's Mind (Book 2 of The Warrior Chronicles)

Chapter 53

Leyla looked over the parapets to the tents the Light guards set up the night before. A good distance from the walls, the white structures were laden with food and make shift beds; a sign of the Light Kingdom's hospitality as well as its limits.

The troop of fifty who had arrived with the first light of day, understood the message clearly: we knew you were coming, now stop here. The Warriors were resting now, if the lack of movement was any indication, with their tent flaps wide open to send their own message: we bare no ill intent.

Leyla watched the largest tent in the middle of all the others, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch a glimpse of him. Alec. He was in there somewhere, but what in Four Kingdoms was he thinking?

Not long after the Warrior's arrival, a messenger had delivered a letter that requested an audience, just as Raphael had suspected. But Alec had not only asked for an audience with the Prorex, he had requested the Consorts presence ; Leyla's presence.

Why? Why did he want to see her, when they had nothing left to say to each other? 

"Consort? Please come down now!" The maidservant named Becca called out. The girl who had been given the duty to help Leyla dress for the meeting, had been nervously waiting for her at the bottom of the steps that led up to the outer wall lookout. "They are calling for you!"

Casting a last glance towards the tents, Leyla straightened her back and made her way down the staircase. The white dress she was wearing appeared very simple at first, but the intricate lace design at the sleeves was mimicked at the hem and the train, which dragged behind her with each step.  For the thousandth time since she had begun wearing dresses, Leyla wished for her Warrior uniform and the freedom it had lent her.

"This way, Consort," Becca sighed in relief.  "The Prorex is waiting for you at the gate."

Leyla followed, and soon saw Raphael speaking to the minister of defence in the courtyard between the Keep and the gate of the outer walls. In his high-collared white jacket, silver belt, bejewelled sword and long silver boots, he looked perfectly royal. The two men looked up as she approached.

"Consort, you've come." The defence minister saluted, looking worried. "I'm still not convinced this is a good idea."

Leyla took in the archers at the parapets and the two dozen armed soldiers waiting to accompany them. None of that would stop fifty Warriors from passing through the gates, but the dozen or so unfamiliar faces she had seen roaming near the walls in heavy cloaks were a different matter. Alchemists. They walked slowly, once in a while stretching out a hand to touch the stones of the defensive walls while their faces remained in the shadows of their white hoods.

"Don't worry minister, we will walk over, hear what King Alec has to say and be back before you can work yourself into a frenzy," Raphael patted the man on the shoulder. "Plus, you know how well my Consort fights, right? Nothing will happen to us."

Leyla cast Raphael a sideways glance, remembering what Michael had told her the previous day. Why didn't he explain to her about the bracelet? Why would he allow her to blame him all this time? 

The Prorex raised his hand to signal the soldiers.

"Open the gates!" Came the shout from the officer among the men. Two soldiers lifted a leaver that began pulling the gate up. Leyla was watching the archers fit arrows into their bows, when Raphael drew her right hand through his arm.

"Are you ready?" He spoke so that only she could hear him, his golden gaze taking in each facet of her face. "Are you nervous?"

She looked up at him, a glib response ready on her tongue, but it wouldn't come out. His gentle look of concern had her looking away. She was nervous, although she didn't know why. Perhaps it was the uncertainty of what seeing Alec would make her feel.

"If you would rather stay, I can make your excuses." Raphael said.

"No." Leyla shook her head. If Alec insisted on seeing her once Raphael made her excuses, it would cause needless trouble. 

"As you wish." Raphael closed his left hand over hers, then faced forward. At his nod, the soldiers began to file out in twos, splitting just past the gate to the left and right to form a line. "Let's get this over with."

Leyla focused as they walked out of the gates, her senses sharpening as she took in the scene in front of her. Of Alec's troop of fifty, only ten had come out of the tents when the gates opened. They stood now, forming a V-shape that led to the opening of the central tent. And it was there, beneath the parted canvas entrance that Alec waited for them.

With the Light guards now filing in behind them, they approached the Warriors. Leyla recognised them all; they had been Alec's most trusted Warriors for a long time. The two at the front left had accompanied her back to the Warrior Castle after Captain Leo sent her into an ambush. The four in the middle had killed the last of the No Landers when she almost died in Tia's parents hut. And the last Warrior on the right was non other than Alec's younger cousin, Finn.

Catching her eye, Finn gave her a quick grin. He did not know her as Lieutenant Leyla of the Warrior Kingdom, but as Lady Alessa, the woman who saved his life. That smile gave her the boost of energy she needed to finally look directly at Alec.

Standing tall in his navy uniform and the gold belt that denoted his royal status, he looked exactly as he always had. Windswept blonde hair, full lips and sky blue eyes that caught her gaze across the distance. Leyla suddenly remembered walking with him through the Greenland markets on a sunny day like this one. Then that evening when he came to her room and kissed her...her pulse picked up at the memory and as if he could sense it, Alec's lips curled with pleasure. He took a step forward, his hand rising a fraction before his eyes landed on Raphael's hand on hers. 

"Your Highness," the Prorex smiled as they reached the opening of the tent. "It is a pleasure to see you so soon after our last trip to your Kingdom."

Alec gave him a strained smile, lifting his hand to point into the tent. "The pleasure is all mine, Prorex. I just wish the reason behind our reunion were happier...Please come in and have a seat."